1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to manufacturing parts and in particular to a method and apparatus for holding parts during manufacturing processing.
2. Background
Manufacturing involves the use of tools and labor to produce or make things for use or sale. With this type of process, raw materials are transformed into finished goods or products, typically on a large scale. With the manufacturing of an aircraft, metal working combined with other operations, such as fatigue enhancement, chemical processing, and application of paint are often performed to create finished structures or machine parts. This metal working may include processes, such as milling, turning, cutting, drilling, and threading.
With these processes, it is common to hold a part in place while a particular process is being performed. For example, in creating a part, such as an air foil or frame for an aircraft, a block of raw material may be machined to form the component. This block of raw material is typically made of a metal, such as titanium, steel, or aluminum. This block of material is typically larger than the component being made. For example, in manufacturing a frame for a fuselage, a portion of the frame may be machined or cut out of a rectangular piece of titanium. The typical “buy to fly” ratio may be thirty to one in which twenty-nine pounds of material is machined into chips to create one pound of a part that is used on an aircraft.
For example, the size or amount of material needed for a particular part takes into account a need for sufficient material to machine or cut out sections that may be used to hold the part during manufacturing. Taking into account a need for sections that may be used to hold the part, the amount of material used to create the part increases. The amount of material needed includes more than just the sections for holding the part during manufacturing. The block of material also is large enough to allow for these components to be machined or created during the machining process.